Stress measuring means



Filed Oct. 5, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 31, 1933. B, F TEETOR 1,933,354

STRESS MEASURING MEANS Filed Oct. 3, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 v(il)Patented Oct. 31, 1933 srares PATENT srnsss MEAsUarNG Menus Benjamin I".Teetor, Hagerstown, Ind. Application october 3,1930. serial No. 486,065

v 6 claims.Y (ci. 73451) The present invention relates 'to' measuringmeans.

More particularly the present invention relates to means for measuringthe relative stresses set up about the periphery of anv annular membersuch as a piston ring. An idealpiston ring would ha've uniform pressureagainst the cylinder Wall throughout its periphery, and much researchhas been ldone toward the design of piston rings to approach suchan'ideal. Various claims are made by'manufacturersthat their pistonrings approach such an ideal more or less closely, but .up to thepresent time, linsofar as applicant is informed, no convenient meanshas'been available to test piston rings in this connection,

An object of the present invention is to provide a simple and easilyoperable means for testing thelstresses set up around the periphery of apiston ring.

A further object is to provide a device which means whichv Willreadilyindicate the relation l between deection and the force causing suchdeilection at various regions around the periphery of a 'piston ring orthe like.

Further objects will appear as the description proceeds.

Referring to the drawings- Figure 1 is a View in front elevation of oneembodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a View in side elevation partly in section of the samestructure; and

Figure 3 is a view on an enlarged scale of va detail of construction. v.

The particular embodiment of the present invention chosen forillustration is not to be considered in a limiting sense, but as oneWhich'has` been made upout of parts readily purchasable scale 14 isprovided with the upstanding stem*V 16 provided with the housing 17,which housing 17 provides a mounting means for certain mechanism forholding a ring to be tested and certain indicating mechanism to bereferred to presently.

t may be stated at this point that the longitudinal axis of the stem 16should preferably be in alignment with the bore of the bushing 13.Moreover, the center of mass of the housing 17 and the parts carriedthereby should preferably be substantially in the line above referredto.

The housing 17 is illustrated as being in two parts, indicated by thenumerals 17a and 17h,

said parts being held together by means of machine Vscrews 18-13. Saidhousing 17 is provided with an annular lip 19 providing anannuv thespring-pressed plunger 22, which is urged f by the spring 23 in aforward direction. Said plunger 22 has its forward extremity rounded andis'adapted to seat into any one of a plurality of recesses 24 disposed,preferably at equal intervals, in theA rear wall of the rotatable member21. It will be clear that the rotatablel member 21 will be held by meansof the springpressed plunger 22 releasably in any one of a plurality ofpositions.

The rotatable member 21 is illustrated as being an annulus having asmooth circular inner wall25 for the reception ofa piston-ring or otherannular member'25, said inner wall 25 having the diameter of thecylinder in which the ring `26 is designed to operate.

The rotatable member 2l is provided with Aa plurality of plungers 27-27correspondingy in numberto the recesses 24v-2e. Said plungers 27-27 areradiallyv disposed in the rotatable member 21 and are adapted to bebrought in alignment with the bore of the axis of the bushing 13. Eachof thefplungers 27 is provided with an abutment 23 adapted to, Contactwith the outer periphery of the ring 26. Each abutment 28 is rivetedorotherwise secured to a corresponding outstanding member 29 adapted tohave .a sliding movement in a radial direction within a correspondingslot 29a disposed in the inner periphery of the annular rotatable mem-Disposed upon the forward face of the rotatable member 21 are aplurality of deflection indicators, indicated by the numerals 30-30.Deflection indicators suitable for the purpose are readily purchasablein the open market. Each of saiddeflection indicators may be adjustable,

whereby zero or other predetermined reading may' be readily indicated..Each. of said indiw catorsis provided with a stem 31 adapted to contactwith one of the outstanding members Ztl-29. Movement of thecorresponding outstanding member 29 will be indicated on 'thecorresponding deiiection indicator. vvSuch movement will be accomplishedby means which will now be described.

Disposed within and coaxially with the bushing 13 isrthe internallyscrew-threaded bushing 32, which carries the screw 33 having theoperating handle 3e. Said screw 33 communicates with the upper extremityof the stress-communicating stem 35, the lower extremity of which isadapted fox to contact selectably with the outer extremities of theplungers 27. As illustrated, the lower extremity of the screw-threadedstem 33 is coneshaped, as indicated by the numeral 36, and seats itselfwithin a corresponding socket in the stem 35. The lower extremity of thestem 35 is provided with the cone-shaped extremity 37 adapted to seatitself within a corresponding socket in any of the plungers 27.

The mode of operation of theabove described embodiment of the presentinvention will be clear without detailed explanation. A. ring 26 to betested will be placed within the annular rotatable member 21, theoperator doing this manually if preferred. The ring 26 is split,according to usual practice, and one extremity of said ring will belocated in engagement with the abutment 23 corresponding to the plunger27 which happens to be in alignment with the stresscommunicating stemS5. Said ring 26 will be symmetrically disposed within the annularmember 21, whereby said ring is adapted to be contacted selectably bythe abutments 28 of the various plungers 27. v

The indicating portion of the scale lll may be soV calibrated that theweight carried by said scale, including the bracket 17, the rotatablemember 21 and the parts carried by said rotatable member including themember to be tested, will lgive a Zero reading upon said scale 14 whenno pressure is being exerted upon the ring 26 through thestressecommunicating stem 35.

The screw-threaded stem will then be turned down, whereby force willbecommunicatedthrough the stem 35 to the plunger 27 and ring 26. Thedeflection of' the ring 26 under such action will kbe indicated by thecorresponding deflection indicator 3l. The extra force applied to thescale 14 by this action will be noted by the observer. The screw 33 willthen be backed oif and the ro-v tatable member 21 turned until thespringpressed plunger 22 seats itself within the next- 'recess 24,thereby accurately predetermining a fractional turn of the rotatablemember 21, or, what is the same' thing, a fractional turn of the ring26. Corresponding readings may be taken at a plurality of points aroundthe ring, which number of points in the illustrated embodiment of thepresentv invention is six. It will be clear that the number oi stationsoi the rotatable member 2l may be chosen as desired, the number ofplungers 27 and the corresponding deflection indicators beingcorrespondingly chosen. In case it is desired to provide a cheaperconstruction, satisfactoryresults may be obtained by providing only oneplunger 27 and having the annular member 21 non-rotatable. In such caseit will be necessary to move the ring 26 circumferentially within theannular member 21 to locate selected portions of said ring inposition tobe engaged by the lower extremityof the plunger 27. l Though onepractical embodiment of the present invention has beendescribed indetail, many modifications will occur to those skilled in the art. It isintended to cover all such modifications that fall within the scope ofthe appended claims.

What is claimed is 1. In an indicating mechanism, in combinacarryingmeans for measuring the deflection of said ring.

2. In measuring mechanism, in combination, avrelatively rigid member, aweight indicating scale fixed relative thereto, a rotatable ringcarrying member carried by said scale, said rigid member having meansfor applying force to a rinfT within said ring carrying member alongsubstantially the line of force applied to said scale by the weight ofsaid ring carrying member, and deflection indicating means forindicating the deflection of said ring.

3. In measuring means, in combination, a relatively rigid member, aweight indicating scale 'Fixed relative thereto, a rotatable ringcarrying member carried by said scale, a plunger extending through saidring carrying member in a direction toward the axis of rotation of saidrotatable ring carrying member and lsubstantially along the line offorce communicated to said scale by said ring carrying member andadapted to contact with the periphery of a ring within said ringcarrying member, means carried by said'relatively rigid member forcommunicating force to said plunger axially thereof, and means forindicating movement of said plunger.

4. In measuring means, in combination, a ron tatable ring carryingmeans, scale means for supportingsaid ring carrying means and aring'carried by said carrying means, means adapted to apply a deflectingforce to thev periphery of said ring disposed within said ring carryingmeans along substantially the line of force appliedto said scale meansby means of .said ringV carrying means, and means for measuringtheamount of deflection due to the application of said deilecting force.

5. In measuring means, in combination, rotatable ring carrying means,scale means for supporting said ring carrying means and a ring carriedthereby, said ring carrying means including an annular member adapted toreceive said ring, means for communicating a deflecting force totheperiphery of said ring substantially along the line of forcecommunicated to said scale ymeans by said'ring carrying means, and

indicating means carried by saidring carrying4 rmeans for measuring thedeflection of said ring.

6. In measuring means, in combination, a relatively rigid member, aweight indicating scale fixed relative thereto, a rotatable ringcarrying member supported by said scale, a plurality of plungersextending through said ring carrying member in radial directions andadapted to contact with the periphery of a'ring within said ringcarrying member, means carried by said relatively rigid member forcommunicating force selectably to said plungers axially thereof andsubstantially along the line of force communicated to said scale by saidring carrying member, and means for indicating movements of saidplungers. BENJAMIN F. TEETOR

